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by Carol J. Walker
Freedom for Wild Horses Podcast explores wild horses and their families, behavior, and iconic symbol of our western heritage.Join Carol J. Walker, leading Advocate for wild horses and award-winning author and photographer, as she leads you to discover why wild horses deserve a place on our public lands, why we need the tonic of their wildness in our lives, the threats they are facing from the agency that manages them, and what you can do to help.Learn more at http://WildHoofbeats.com.This is the show for you if you find yourself asking questions like:-Are there wild horses in the United States?-How do I find out about wild horses?-What are the issues facing wild horses on our public lands?-Is livestock ranching in conflict with wild horses?-How are domestic horses different from wild horses?-What is the family structure and the relationships of wild horses?-Are wild horses being sent to slaughter?-What organizations are actively helping wild horses?
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What makes wild horses worth fighting for? In this episode, I reflect on why I continue to advocate for wild horses. They are valuable not for what they symbolize but for who they are as sentient beings living on public lands. I share stories from recent trips to the Salt Wells Creek and Red Desert Complex herds in Wyoming, observing their families, foals, and the challenges they face. I describe the experiences that have had the greatest impact on me, including witnessing foals being comforted by mares other than their own and tracking stallions recovering from harsh winters. These encounters highlight both the resilience of the horses and the uncertainty they face when environmental pressures and planned roundups can change everything in a moment. This episode also addresses the ongoing threat of BLM management decisions. With environmental assessments out for public comment and roundups scheduled in the Red Desert Complex, no horses in these herds are fully safe. I explain why these wild horses deserve to remain in their homes, living freely with their families, and why it is so important to continue advocating for their protection. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/70 If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
Why does the BLM's Wild Horse sale authority program need an audit? In this episode, I speak with Manda Kalimian, founder of Rewilding America Now, about the urgent need to bring transparency and accountability to the way wild horses are sold from holding facilities. Together, we explore how the current system is failing the horses and what actions you can take to help ensure their welfare. Manda shares her firsthand experience rescuing horses from auctions and feedlots, the challenges of working within the current system, and how the volume of horses being funneled from holding into private sales is creating serious risks. We discuss why a government accountability audit is a crucial first step and how it can put pressure on the BLM to follow proper procedures before more horses are removed from public lands. You'll also learn how advocacy, education, and partnerships with organizations like Rewilding America Now can make a difference. Manda explains how signing the petition to audit the BLM's sale program gives the public a voice, and why even small actions such as sharing information, supporting campaigns, and contacting members of Congress can help protect wild horses from mismanagement and slaughter. Petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/count-every-horse-stop-bureau-of-land-management-wild-horse-sales-to-slaughter? Letter to Congress: https://116a2349-892a-41a5-94ab-9a6f9a7a78b7.filesusr.com/ugd/e899a9_99d8d25ce65040c2839f9c71c91078b8.pdf Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/69 If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
What happens when the people shaping public lands policy are closely tied to the very industries competing with wild horses for those lands? In this episode, I look at the growing influence of grazing and extractive interests on public land policy, and why these changes could have serious consequences for America's wild horses. I explain how proposed grazing changes could reduce public oversight, weaken protections for land health, and prioritize livestock grazing above wildlife conservation. I also discuss the expanding sale authority program for wild horses, the increase in online sales and transport to states with nearby slaughter auctions, and why many advocates are deeply concerned about where these policies are heading. You'll hear why these developments matter right now, how Project 2025 connects to current policy changes, and what actions you can take to speak up for wild horses. I also outline why contacting senators and representatives is so important as Congress considers the fiscal year 2027 budget and ongoing public lands policies. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/68 If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
Have you heard about the new herd management plan for the Red Desert Complex? If not, now is the time to pay attention. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a plan that will impact the wild horses in this area, and the comment period is open. In this episode, I explain why submitting your comments is crucial and how they can influence the future of these horses. The BLM is planning how to manage the wild horses across 753,000 acres of the Red Desert Complex. This is your chance to speak up. I outline the main concerns with the current management plan, including water availability, drought conditions, sterilization, genetic diversity, and the continued reliance on non-scientific approaches in managing the horses. I also explain how these factors could affect the horses' ability to thrive in the Red Desert Complex. You'll learn what specific issues you should address when submitting your comments and why it's so important to ensure that the BLM considers long-term sustainability for these wild horses. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/67 Submit your comments here by May 4, 2026: https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=6c9a6ab7-c027-f111-8341-001dd804183b& If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
What is it like to visit the wild horses of Salt Wells Creek during a winter with almost no snow? In this episode, I share what I saw during my recent trip to this Wyoming range, where unusually dry conditions made travel easier but also raised concerns about the lack of moisture across the region. You'll hear about several of the families and bachelor stallions I observed during my time in the range, including familiar horses I have followed for years and new foals born outside the official foaling window defined by the Bureau of Land Management. This visit also highlights how wild horses organize themselves during winter, when survival takes priority and conflicts between stallions are often subdued. I reflect on the families I observed, the young horses growing within those bands, and why understanding the realities of wild horse life on the range matters when decisions are made about how they are managed. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/66 If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
What could this year mean for wild horses? As we enter the Year of the Fire Horse, a symbol of movement, passion, and freedom, I reflect on what lies ahead for the horses who embody those qualities more than any other. Wild horses represent vitality and resilience, yet their future remains uncertain as policies and priorities continue to shift. More than 64,000 wild horses are currently confined in holding facilities, and over 22 million acres have been removed from herd management areas. Oversight remains limited, roundups continue to loom, and transparency has steadily declined, leaving the public with fewer tools to ensure these horses are protected. In this episode, I share what I believe must change, from ending roundups and restoring habitat to creating independent oversight and returning horses to public lands. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/65 If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
What happens to wild horses once they are removed from public lands and placed in holding facilities? In this episode, I examine a new Bureau of Land Management policy that expands the use of sales as a way to reduce the number of wild horses in government care, raising serious concerns about oversight and protection. I'm joined by longtime wild horse advocate and Freedom of Information Act expert Debbie Coffey to explain what this policy change allows and why it matters. We discuss how increased reliance on sales, especially group sales, creates risks when transparency is limited and public access to information continues to decline. We also outline why advocates view this shift as a direct threat to wild horses belonging to the American public and what listeners can do in response. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/64 If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
Have you ever wondered what makes a wild curly horse so distinctive? In this episode, I revisit my first experiences with the curly horses of Salt Wells Creek and share how discovering this rare lineage changed the way I understood the diversity within America's wild horse herds. These horses carry traits that set them apart from others on the range, and encountering them for the first time revealed just how unique this population truly is. As I revisit this story, I also share why these horses are now at risk. Salt Wells Creek is one of the herds slated for full removal under the new land use plan, and curlies were notably absent from public adoptions after the most recent roundup. I hope this episode encourages you to learn more about what is happening to these unique horses and to take action to help protect the wild curly herds that remain. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/63 If you'd like to know more about my book, "Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses," click here: https://www.wildhoofbeats.com/product/wild-hoofbeats-americas-vanishing-wild-horses
Freedom for Wild Horses Podcast explores wild horses and their families, behavior, and iconic symbol of our western heritage.Join Carol J. Walker, leading Advocate for wild horses and award-winning author and photographer, as she leads you to discover why wild horses deserve a place on our public lands, why we need the tonic of their wildness in our lives, the threats they are facing from the agency that manages them, and what you can do to help.Learn more at http://WildHoofbeats.com.This is the show for you if you find yourself asking questions like:-Are there wild horses in the United States?-How do I find out about wild horses?-What are the issues facing wild horses on our public lands?-Is livestock ranching in conflict with wild horses?-How are domestic horses different from wild horses?-What is the family structure and the relationships of wild horses?-Are wild horses being sent to slaughter?-What organizations are actively helping wild horses?
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